1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system and in particular to a method and apparatus for processing data. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for managing message notifications.
2. Description of the Related Art
Applications are often used to manage or process workflow, which is a movement of information and/or tasks through a work process. More specifically, workflow includes units of activity carried out by a person or data processing system. These units of activity also are referred to as tasks. Within a workflow, tasks are present in which who performs a task and the relative order of the tasks may be defined. Based on what tasks have been performed, what tasks are being performed, and what tasks need to be performed, a workflow has different states.
In many applications, a separate email or other type of notification message may be sent to a user. For example, in the case of an accounts payable workflow, invoice processing may reach an approval stage. When this state in the workflow is reached, a designated approver is sent a notification telling that person that they are required to log on to an accounts payable application to approve the processing request. This notification is typically sent using a message, such as an email message.
In some scenarios, the request to approve an invoice may follow parallel paths. More specifically, the notifications requesting approval of the invoice may have been sent to more than one approver. With this type of parallel path, one approver may already have approved the request, while another approver has not yet looked into the request in the email message. If the request has already been processed, it would be useful to avoid having the second approver log on to the accounts payable application to find out that the request has already been approved.
Currently, even though one user may perform the action, other users may still have to log into the accounts payable application only to see that the invoice has already been approved. These types of parallel notifications that are sent to multiple users for the same action makes the overall process efficient. The drawback, however, is a loss in time or productivity for other users having to process messages requesting actions when those actions have already been performed.